Instead of slogging through long shifts in a factory in some distant state, what if four hours of smart work on your own field could earn you more money and let you stay with your family? A farmer from Bihar's Chapra (Saran) district has turned exactly that idea into his way of life, showing that with the right technique, farming is no longer a losing bet but a route to double and triple profits.
The Santha Village Farmer Who Rewrote The Rules
We are talking about Chedi Prasad Yadav, a resident of Santha village under the Garkha block of Chapra district. Leaving behind the old grooves of traditional farming, he now relies on multi-cropping — growing several crops together on a single plot. What makes his work stand out is that his entire cultivation is done through the organic method, keeping chemical fertilisers and pesticides at bay.
On a plot of just 10 katha, he has adopted the machan method, also known as multi-layer farming. On this same piece of land he raises a fine crop of bottle gourd (lauki) on top and ivy gourd (kundri) below. The result: from this tiny field alone, he earns a net income of up to ₹1.5 lakh in a single season.
Three Decades Of Experience, A Model For The Village
Chedi Yadav is no beginner. He has been cultivating green vegetables since childhood, with more than 30 years of experience behind him. His unique ideas and techniques have won the admiration of farmers around him. Alongside traditional crops, he plants seasonal cash crops — vegetables — to earn a healthy income.
Inspired by his example and guidance, several other farmers in the area have also turned to vegetable cultivation on a large scale. This has helped them become self-reliant and support their families far better than before.
'Four Hours At Home Beats Eight Hours Of Labour Far Away'
Chedi Yadav is candid: he never once thought of going away to put in eight hours of bonded labour in a factory. In his view, it is far better to put in four hours of work on your own field at home than to grind for eight hours elsewhere and endure being scolded by others. This way, he stays connected to his family and relatives, and the earnings remain excellent too. That, he says, is why he is deeply content and happy with his life.
Speaking to TrendKia, Chedi Prasad Yadav said that he never went to Delhi or Punjab in search of work. For the past 25–30 years he has stayed in his own village, farming and living a prosperous life.
A Double Harvest Of Ivy Gourd And Bottle Gourd
Explaining the maths of his farming, he says that in a single picking he harvests around 50 kg of ivy gourd (kundri). The biggest advantage of kundri is that once planted, it keeps yielding continuously for roughly 2 to 3 years. From beneath the same machan, he also plucks 70 to 80 pieces of bottle gourd (lauki) every day. These vegetables are taken every week to the Chapra Bazar Samiti (mandi) and sold, bringing in a steady flow of cash.
His Own Education Was Cut Short — But His Children Are Going Higher
During the conversation, Chedi Yadav grows emotional. He recalls that family poverty meant he himself could not study beyond the Bihar Board (matriculation). But today, on the strength of this very farming, he is giving his children a higher education. His sons help him in the farm work alongside their studies.
Chedi Yadav's message is blunt: if farming is done with the right technique and good sense, young people will have no need at all to migrate away from their homes and villages in search of jobs.
